MY AC RUNS BUT NOT ENOUGH AIR COMES OUT OF THE VENTS

by Christina
(Chicago)

We recently had our Trane serviced, freon added, pressure checked, new fan motor installed on outside unit, furnace coils have been cleaned but, every time we turn on the air it starts out at about 70% of where it should be and then slowly dissipates to almost no air pressure. The air is cool but it just doesn't seem to be blowing enough air through the vents. Help!

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Air flow is bad
by: Anonymous

my central air unit I was told is working fine. but when I open closet that hold furnace air flow it is a bout 60degrees in there and the air is blowing hard and cool in there. Just had someone look at unit and said everything reads fine.But very little air flow in house. There is a vent on what I believe is air/funaces that is blowing air out hard.When I shut it does not seem to help.What do I do.

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Dirty coils inside NEW
by: Anonymous

Most of the other sites give the same possibilities. Knowing that those are not the cause, I am suspecting the following:

4. Another possibility is that the inside unit coils are dirty as a result of not changing the filter when needed. There is a spray for do-it-yourselfers, but inside unit may need to be pulled & cleaned by serviceman. Expect to pay at least $400-500.

I pulled the intake vent cover and it was FILTHY (rented for 4 years). God knows if they EVER changed the filters. We did a couple times (and they were filthy). I suspect when I call service again, they will find the evaporator coil fins are caked. The air in the ducts is plenty cold (abt 50 deg), but little air flow. Same in winter with heat- little air flow. Since the air must pass thru the evap fins in both cases, the issue is consistent with the evap coils being clogged (fins). The tech that showed earlier never even mentioned this possibility! And the issue was never addressed to any satisfaction. I'm betting this is MY problem.

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Too Hot NEW
by: Anonymous

My air continuously blows and is not getting my house cold en0ough. It will be set to 71 and will be reading 76. When the weather is cool it works fine. I noticed one vent is not blowing as much air as the other ones. I had someone come out and all he said was wrong was the cut out connecting my duct work was not big enough. The hfac unit was installed a year and a month ago. None of this was a problem when I moved in July last year. This all started when I noticed a loud noise coming from where we change the filter. I looked at it and it was entirely black and needed to be changed. The kicker is I just changed it four days ago. I also asked the guy that came out about that and he said it was caused by burning candles.

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Low air flow NEW
by: Anonymous

Where is the switch that some have commented from low to high

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not enough air blowing out the vents NEW
by: Anonymous

Had AC unit replaced , 3 ton Heil out American standard 3 ton in.
Replaced Heil do to age, but worked great just getting loud.

New unit hardly blows compared to the old unit. Had it checked 3 times , 3 diff. companies, It is what it is I'm told. Motor set to high.only changes made was the inside & outside units & new copper plumbing between the two.

Any idea's??

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reduced or no air thru registers NEW
by: Anonymous

my ac blower motor runs but I only get air flow thru the registers when I take the cover from the air handler when I reinstall it there is very minimal air thru the registers. this happens even when I have the fan only running

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Speak English NEW
by: Anonymous

Free country

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Speak English NEW
by: Anonymous

Speak English!

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Very low flow from vents NEW
by: Anonymous

I like to mess with stuff so when we hardly had any flow from the heat/ a/c house vents I replaced filter still same pulled condenser fan and washed out condenser same no flow removed the blower squirrel cage plugged it looked like a couple cats got caught in it pulled it apart cleaned it real well reinstalled blower assy and I can feel the air flow at my neck I stand 5 ft 11 cools house from 80 down to 74 in approx 1/2 hr. Thanks for the tip .

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Little to no air flow NEW
by: Anonymous

Just installed a coil on my train furnace(I don't have the condenser hooked up) and I have very little air coming out of my vents with the heater on help

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How to increse flow of air NEW
by: Anonymous

The longest run from the unit is in the bedroom, and very little blows into the room. Is there a device I could insert into the vents to blow the cool air in faster?

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#4 NEW
by: Anonymous

Thank you very much! Number four fixed the issue we were having!

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Little air comes out of vents; house heating up; compressor stays on NEW
by: BG

Tips from a retired heating/ac serviceman. A heating/ac unit's air output is only as much as much as its intake, so don't close off rooms & ducts unless each room has a return air duct. The usual reason for little air flow is the indoor ac coils get frozen not allowing enough cool air flow to circulate through them to get to the registers. Try #1 first. #1, 2, & 3 are important maintenance steps to keep the inside & outside units clean. Also, it is recommended to have it professionally maintained every year or two. YouTube has many instruction videos so look at a few of those for more instructions.

1. Change air filter if dirty. Use woven kind rather than ones you can see through. Ac installers recommend a 6 or higher rating. Some may need changed 2x a month or may need a higher rating for allergens. If you have to use cheaper type, tape 2 together. Keeping inside coils clean will save you hundreds or thousands of dollars later & adds several years of life to your unit.

2. Blow/clean out drip line running outdoors. Make sure outdoor pipe opening is clear to allow condensation from coils to escape. Some units are installed in the attic or basement. Find the pipe that carries the condensation from the coils outdoors. Insert water hose or air compressor hose into pipe exiting indoor unit to clean out debris, dirt, & insects. Do before every summer.

3. IMPORTANT: Turn off heating/ac circuit switch. Use vacuum to clean outdoor unit fins from outside. Be careful not to damage fins. You can also blow out or use hose spray from inside by removing top cover. Be careful not to get condensor or wiring compartments wet. Do before every summer & keep unit clear of bushes, weeds, etc.

4. Turn off heater/air conditioner on wall thermostat. Switch fan to On instead of Auto. Allow to run 1-3 hours. You also can turn on heater several minutes to thaw faster. After waiting, turn on ac just a degree or two under house temperature. Continue lowering a degree at a time to desired temp. During hot days, keep fan switched to On to keep air circulating around the coils when the compressor cycles off. Turn the temp up a degree or 2 if house starts heating up because it means it needs air flow to thaw the coils. If these steps don't work, or if it is continuously freezing up, call ac service.

3. Call ac service with equipment to check unit for leaks. If leaks are found, insist on having a spray put into coils to stop & prevent leaks. Have freon put in only after a leak check. Sealing the leaks may get you through the summer, maybe several years. Checking freon won't indicate a leak, & putting in freon without sealing leaks will cost you a couple of hundred extra & still not fix it.

4. Another possibility is that the inside unit coils are dirty as a result of not changing the filter when needed. There is a spray for do-it-yourselfers, but inside unit may need to be pulled & cleaned by serviceman. Expect to pay at least $400-500.

Sometimes, a new switch, fan motor, or compressor is necessary, but a good, well-maintained unit should last 18-20 years. If you must get a new unit, get several estimates. Some estimates vary by over $1,000, & the most efficiently rated systems may not be the best choice. Sometimes, fixing window & door leaks, more insulation or spray insulation can cut your energy bill in half.

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Central Air Unit NEW
by: Anonymous

My central unit is full of freon and the outside line is cool not cold and the inside temp on the thermostat is set at 70 and the house temp is 81. What could be the problem?

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Check this First! NEW
by: Lynn

I had this same issue last week and saw this thread. I fixed the problem myself this morning. Before you try anything else, check your thermostat! I really hadn't paid attention but saw that it was blinking "lo batt".... 2 Duracell AAAs later, it's back to it's lovely, cool self! I lucked out and felt pretty silly about not checking that first.

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heat soak NEW
by: Anonymous

we have a similar problem...in our up stairs at night or on cloudy days the air flow is very powerful coming out of the vent. the rooms all cool down but in the heat of the day and when the sun is beating down the upstairs temp climbs to 89-90 with just a wisp of cold air coming out of the vents. down stairs the air still comes out forceful and cold. it's 72 down stairs and 90 up. once the sun sets with in a few hours the air is roaring out of the upstairs vents again and everything cools off.

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Not enough air NEW
by: Frank

as silly as it sounds, most blower motors have a speed adjustment. One time when having our unit serviced the tech switched the motor to LOW and we never had enough air. We had several ac companies come out and they wanted to replace various parts of our system from the compressor to the furnace and compressor. all we had to do was flip the switch on the motor to HIGH!

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mine to NEW
by: Anonymous

i moved into a apartment the ac has little air comeing out called out maintence they said unit is running fine so i took the front cover off the unit lowered it about 2 inches and lots ove cold air comes out so i run it with the cover half off cools the apartment fine like that so i dont know what else to do..

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not enough air flow NEW
by: Anonymous

I have the same problem actually guy after actually guy. One day I put a fan in the only return air duct I have in the house, the other 3 were not reconnected after remodel because of do it yourselves probably, but there it was, bingo. The problem is that your return ducts are of inadequate size and not supplying enough air back the air handler. Try it one day

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Outside fan is spinning but little air pressure NEW
by: Anonymous

The outside fan seems to be working...it's spinning like normal but there is barely any airflow the temp is set for 70* but it's 78* in the house...I even put a thermostat on the vent for about 30 mins and it only went down to 72*

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aircon working but airflow not cold NEW
by: Anonymous

its busted capacitor

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What is the answer NEW
by: Anonymous

so what is the answer to the question

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Air not blowing hard enough
by: Anonymous

I recently moved to an older apartment where the unit is in an oblonged rectangular shape. The A.C. repair man came, checked the blower (which was blowing great out of the wall ) and then put it back and scratched his head and left. Ummm ok.

The second worker came and said the coils were dirty. So the used some type of clear which seemed to help a little bit but could have been done again. I found out there was a woman in here for 20yrs who was a heavy smoker (ewww gross) and I m certain my coils are clogged with the same crap that killed the ol bat.

I used a mild bleach and water solution to spray on the coils.. It turned them back to silver anyway and seem to help a little bit. I was getting condensation all along the wall vent.

drip ... drip... the vent was cold to the touch yet weak air pressure if any to blow it out. I have one in my living / dining space and one in my bedroom ... the bedroom one was working fairly good. (which was strange seeing as they are both the same unit).

Then one day we have some hurricane weather ( Irene ) and I hear loud whistling coming from the living room.. I go out and see the windows and sills are covered in water.. the window seals were old and destroyed and there was a quarter of an in. GAP under the window sill.

Well, the heat and wind was blowing through this gap and the rain water and heat was coming through the windows. My point here... after 2 prof. A.C. repair men where here, not finding or curing the problems with this room being much warmer, I discover the real problem was the leaking windows an poor craftsman ship on wall under window.

Make sure you are not having a problem with windows and doors and other places your cool air can escape the room before calling the repair man. While I do think my coils are not working the best and most likely do need to be changed.

I also now know that poor insulation and cracks in walls can def cause a room to not meet its full cooling potential. Now... I am having brand new windows installed next week, have sealed up the huge gap under the window and am curious to see how the winter heat goes. hahahaha oh boy.
Ciao

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List of thing that cause less airflow
by: Dadan

You have airflow problem. Here list of thing that can cause airflow problem. This is just the top of my head

1) The blower motor is running slow, it gone bad
2) Leak duct work or restriction air in the duct work
3) Unclean and dirty evaporator coil
4) If your central air unit is old, it possible the blade is missing or broke
5) If your blower is variable speed motor, someone could switch the speed, (I doubt)
6) The blower could have dirt/particle in it.

Hope I help

Dadan

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low air flow in some vents
by: Anonymous

I'm having an issue with some of my central air vents not blowing much air. there are 2 out of 10 that the air flow is low causing the rooms to get hot during the day. What can that be?

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evaporator drain could be plugged
by: Anonymous

On my system, I found out the drain was plugged causing my evaporator to ice over. Like a old refrigerator without automatic defrost, I had to thaw it out manually. Cleaned the drain and spayed the coils with evaporator cleaner and it's been good.

This is easy to check, when the flow drops... remove you evaporator cover and check for icing.

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answer
by: Anonymous

it could be your coils or fan is on low speed or dblower fan is dirty or your return air is blocked

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Same
by: Travis

I am having the same problem. IT blow cool strong air at first then the air stops flowing eventhough everything is still running. If I leave it off for 8-10 hour runs fine again then looses air pressure.

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problemas de soplado de la unidad interior
by: Anonymous

Hola mi unidad interior tiene problemas con el soplado tira poco viento el aire es bien frio pero no llega a exsparsirse x toda la casa se queda solo en una parte quien sepa de algo parecido mandeme un comentario

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